Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I have a favorite magazine that I bought like 5 years ago....no kidding, still have it. I wish I could remember what its called....Something about ...actually I really don't know what its called. I won't even try. Anyway. In that magazine it featured a house and in the living room the guy used concrete for table tops on his coffee table and side tables. Not concrete that he molded and smoothed out himself. A piece of concrete from a sidewalk that was torn up by his house. I thought this was an excellent idea...something I remember every time I see broken piles of concrete. I've even tried to pass this by the hubs....but it was a total no go.

Its ideas like those that I thrive off of though. I drive by a tree lot every single day on my way to work and back home. A few months ago I started to notice piles of wood growing and growing. They had a lot of small limbs and branches, but that's not what intrigued me. It was the huge ol' stumps that took up more than half the pile that caught my eye. Then I remembered those concrete tables, and huge piles of concrete. I don't know why my mind works like that...concrete, wood...same thing, right?

Anyway.

I didn't even know if they sold the stuff. Its not like a place of normal business, there's no building, no office. Just every once in awhile I'll see a truck there planting a tree or delivering more wood. So, after months and months of trying to contact these people, I finally saw them one day out moving trees. I called the hubs in two seconds flat and told him to get the truck, we were going to pick up stumps. I don't know what he was thinking when I said this. He knew I wanted some stumps, but really didn't ask why. Which, I thought was amazing. Cuz really, what would a girl do with some old nasty tree stumps anyway? This is why I love my husband. He doesn't question my weird ideas...sometimes.

I didn't even know how much tree stumps went for. $5, $10, $40??? No idea. Well, apparently they go for $4 each. The guys at the tree place thought I was crazy. Had no idea what I was talking about turning these stumps into a table. Probably got the good deal cuz they felt bad for me since I was delusional. :) It pays to have crazy ideas.

Anyway. I got five of them for $20.

Differing sizes of course. The vision in my head was a coffee table with five stumps, with five different heights.

First, I sanded the heck out of them. But, still left enough wood grain and detail to show they were once a tree.

Next, I primed each one one half at a time.

(this one I had to fill with mud cuz it had a very scary looking hole that went through the whole thing, and I didn't know what the heck would rear its little head out of it at any given time in my living room...so sealed up it got)

Then I painted them a slight off color of white. Next was to seal them up, mainly cuz I was fearful of little spidies and buggies coming out of the woodwork, I used some Polycrylic on every single square inch.

So, my vision was five tables. Obviously my vision had no idea of how gigantic these babies really are. So, once I got three into the house, I left it at that...there was definitely no hope for five.

Thankfully, the hubs likes them. He didn't at first, but then he realized that they don't move like the coffee table did when he puts his feet on them. Its the little things in life....I guess :)

I love the odd characteristics that each piece has and the brightness it brings into the room.

Here's my coffee table before:

And after:

Now that I have two more stumps, maybe I'll make some side tables....? Although, that may be just a bit overboard :)

For the most part, I was lucky that these pieces were cut straight, but the middle one totally was not.

Nothing that a piece of 2x4 underneath couldn't fix :) And you can't even tell, huh?

Just an FYI in case you want to get some of your own wood for some tables...make sure that its seasoned, and not wet at all or else you'll get nice little buggies everywhere. You'll know its seasoned when the bark on the outside either isn't on there anymore, or comes off easily....and obviously, if its not wet. It takes about a year or so to get it seasoned. That's why you need to find big random piles of wood that have been sitting there for awhile like I did :)

you are SO CREATIVE! what a great idea. i love it. thank you for sharing your brilliance on this blog. if you ever have a spare moment, i'd be tickeled for you to stop by my blog!-bridgetwww.delightfulbybridget.blogspot.com

I love the painted look! Not too long ago, a tree in our backyard gifted us with many pieces of wood. I promptly decided some of that was going to good use in my house. Unfortunately... I'm gonna have to wait awhile before it can actually come in my house. I love the coffee table look you went for!

I saw a tree trimming company with a load on the back of their truck at Taco Bell. Again, my husband gave me a look, and so did the two guys when I asked them what they were doing with the wood, and if I could have a piece of the stump. We popped it into my trunk, and it's in the garage now drying out. I propped it up about an inch, so the air could get to it on both sides. I think it will be ready to go by fall, your post got me all excited about it! I'm going to use it as a night stand on my husbands side of the bed.

GIRL!!!! This is amazing! I can't believe how much I like them. We have cut down quite a few trees and never have I thought they would look nice in our house (and we don't even have a nice house like yours)! I am featuring this at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com. You are so inspiring!

I completely love this idea! I have wanted to make stump tables for my outdoor space forever, but now I see the potential for how gorgeous they can be inside! Now, I gotta find a tree stump place!! Thanks for sharing!

:O Great Job! I saw something like this at the oriental restaurants. But your tables are more beautiful. (And cheap, I'm sure) Now your room looks more light and big than whit the dark table... Amazing!Congratulations. Pepa.

Oh my goodness, I love these!!!! Thank you, THANK YOU for posting this- I am showing this to my husband!!! I'm always admiring the silver tree stump tables that different decorating stores have, and I told my husband that I wanted to get a tree stump and paint it myself. He said it couldn't be done without getting a house full of bugs, but NOW I have the proof that it can. (plus the pictures to show how gorgeous it looks!) I am going to feature you today on my blog, and I'm your newest follower! :)

Shut your mouth! I have seen stumps stained and polyed, but NEVER would have thought to paint them! And I like it better then the wood ones! This is fantastic! I'm going to have to scout out some tree stumps now! Thanks for the brilliant idea!

Love your blog!! Its so cute!!! I am your newest follower!!! i would love to feature you on my blog. so let me know!! :) So if you would like to go and check out my blog and follow me too! That would make my day!!! :) I am so excited to start blogging and share my ideas on food, crafts, and mineral make-up. I will also be doing giveaways on stuff, like mineral make-up. So look out for it! Thanks!-BrookeFor-the-luv-of.blogspot.com

Love it! Why is it that I see posts like this right after I discard something. I had a tree cut down and had them cut five stumps as stools around the fire pit which we haven't used since. My husband took the stumps to the dump recently. I was so sad as I had thought of using one as a natural side table but was afraid of spidies and buggies too! The grouping painted white is really beautiful....I want my stumps back!!!

I once asked the gardener outside my old apartment complex for some of the branches he was cutting off a tree (I was going to make a gate out of them) and by the look in his face, he obviously thought I was whack-o or something. Some people just don't get it, do they? LOL!

memawbakesmemories.blogspot.com says:I love this idea. About 20 years ago, my dad planted oak trees across the front of the property I now own. They have grown nicely, but this spring the power company trimmed them away from the power lines, and ruined them.

They will be cut down as we have time this summer. I think this would be a perfect way for me to have something of the trees to remember him by. If anyone comments about them, I can say they are the trees my dad planted.

i absolutly love this idea. while i have a coffee table i love, im thinking 'ottoman' maybe add a cushion. my husband and boys already think im a crazy 'picker' because i see beauty if stuff others are throwing away....cant wait to become a crazy 'stumper'thanks for sharing...i love the look.one question...how heavy were they?

This is such a great idea! I featured it on my blog http://yourforever.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/diy-tree-stump-tables-from-thrifty-and-chic/ and added you to my blogroll. Such great DIY projects you do! Living in Seattle - I'm sure I could find a stump or two outside my door!

You just made my day!! Seriously I have been trying to figure out for ages where to snag some stumps for tables. I even called a lumber yard and the person thought I was a raving lunatic. I was so afraid by the time I found some, the concept wouldn't be chic anymore and I'd have to go hunting for the next great trend in upcycling. Great post!

Popping over from Better After... love it, love it love it! (Them :) I have a stump in the garage.... definitely seasoned. To get rid of it, we would have to cut it up some. Cut it up a lot, actually. I had so much fun reading your post -you have a great blog!

i did this back in the 70's, loved the look until i had to move. when we picked them up sap had run all through the carpet beneath and i had to pay to replace the carpet. i thought since they were "dead" stumps there would be no sap..hah! suprise, not a good one. course you probably already knew this

They look great!! I have plenty of wood in my yard, very seasoned. I had thought about doing this very thing, but the idea of all the bugs creeped me out. Maybe your Polycrilic idea will give me the confidence to go for it!

I absolutely love this idea. You living room looks all the more beautiful with those stump-table! Read about this on Apartment Therapy and I would in turn like to share it on my blog. I would be sharing the link to this post... so be prepared for more traffic and comments :)

Hello, Alicia. I'm a freelance writer for a national syndication company and I'm doing a story on DIY tree stump tables. I'd like to interview for my piece. Would you mind contacting me at afiscruggs(at)yahoo(dot)com, and so we can arrange an interview?

My deadline is August 12. My company is Content That Works. www.contentthatworks.com

Thank you for the inspiration. My take on this project was an ottoman side table pair. One in natural, one painted amber orange; both with a thick layer of shellac for gloss... http://pinterest.com/pin/243423600/

I am still in college (and can't wait to have my own house so I can decorate it myself), but I got the idea awhile back to make a tree stump coffee table. I'd been wondering whether it would actually work, so I was so excited to see yours! I was envisioning a glass top over two stumps, but this looks way more functional.

Nice job. When I was in NYC earlier this year, I went to Macys and they had beautiful tree stumps as table bases. Some were topped with glass and some were topped with wood. All were very trendy looking. I guess you can say you're a trendy woman.

Pages

Copyright Thrifty and Chic 2009-2014

All material including ideas and photos on this site belong to Thrifty and Chic as the sole legal copyright holder and being such, the content of this site cannot be published, copied or reprinted without permission.